11/10 Update: As we reported earlier, the 2008 World Series, bedeviled by both the weather and unpopular teams, was the lowest rated/least viewed in modern TV history. The chart and table have been updated with the final 2008 numbers.

The Tampa Bay Rays (TV market #13) beat the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS to face the Philadelphia Phillies (TV market #4) in the 2008 World Series and now Fox faces the prospect of record low World Series TV ratings. The Red Sox would easily have kept the ratings out of record (low) territory, but its hard to imagine a worse team for ratings from the AL than the Tampa Bay Rays. A team that barely has a fan base in its own city, and with no national fan base at all. The Phillies have a big local TV market, but that will matter little, they have a relatively small national fan base. As much as the sports world loves to complain about the Yanks and Sox, baseball TV ratings depend on them in the post-season.

In this century, for World Series average viewership to break 20 million, it requires the Yankees or the Red Sox playing. Although in 2000, even the Yankees couldn't pull an all NY matchup above 20 million. This year, I'm confident we'll see the lowest average viewership of any World Series in the last 40 years (as far back as our data goes), lower than 2006 St. Louis Cardinals v. Detriot Tigers matchup which averaged 15.81 million viewers.

Full World Series Ratings Data, 1968-2008:

Year

Net

#Telecasts

Rating

Share

Homes

Viewers

Teams

2008

FOX

5

8.4

14

13,635,000

Tampa Bay Rays/Philadelphia Phillies

2007

FOX

4

10.6

18

11,994,000

17,123,000

Boston Red Sox / Colorado Rockies

2006

FOX

5

10.1

17

11,282,000

15,812,000

St. Louis Cardinals /Detroit Tigers

2005

FOX

4

11.1

19

12,272,000

17,162,000

Chicago White Sox/Houston Astros

2004

FOX

4

15.8

26

17,270,000

25,390,000

Boston Red Sox/St. Louis Cardinals

2003

FOX

6

12.8

22

13,834,000

20,142,000

Florida Marlins / NY Yankees

2002

FOX

7

11.9

20

12,645,000

19,261,000

Anahiem Angels/San Francisco Giants

2001

FOX

7

15.7

26

16,519,000

24,528,000

Arizona Diamnondbacks / NY Yankees

2000

FOX

5

12.4

21

12,657,000

18,081,000

NY Yankees / NY Mets

1999

NBC

4

16.0

26

16,105,000

23,731,000

NY Yankees / Atlanta Braves

1998

FOX

4

14.1

24

14,050,000

20,340,000

NY Yankees / San Diego Padres

1997

NBC

7

16.7

29

16,410,000

24,790,000

Florida Marlins / Cleveland Indians

1996

FOX

6

17.4

29

16,890,000

25,220,000

NY Yankees / Atlanta Braves

1995

ABC

6

19.5

33

18,710,000

28,970,000

Atlanta Braves / Cleveland Indians

1994

Baseball Strike

1993

CBS

6

17.3

30

16,330,000

24,700,000

Toronto Blue Jays / Philadelphia Phillies

1992

CBS

6

20.2

34

18,820,000

30,010,000

Toronto Blue Jays / Atlanta Braves

1991

CBS

7

24.0

39

22,060,000

35,680,000

Minnesota Twins / Atlanta Braves

1990

CBS

4

20.8

36

19,320,000

30,240,000

Cincinnati Reds / Oakland Athletics

1989

ABC

4

16.4

29

15,090,000

24,550,000

Oakland Athletics / San Francisco Giants

1988

NBC

5

23.9

39

21,610,000

34,490,000

Los Angeles Dodgers / Oakland Athletics

1987

ABC

7

24.0

41

21,230,000

35,340,000

Minnesota Twins / St. Louis Cardinals

1986

NBC

7

28.6

46

23,640,000

36,370,000

New York Mets / Boston Red Sox

1985

ABC

7

25.3

39

21,740,000

34,510,000

Kansas City Royals / St. Louis Cardinals

1984

NBC

5

22.9

40

19,270,000

28,010,000

Detroit Tigers / San Diego Padres

1983

ABC

5

23.3

41

19,570,000

29,540,000

Baltimore Orioles / Philadelphia Phillies

1982

NBC

7

27.9

49

23,370,000

38,070,000

St. Louis Cardinals / Milwaukee Brewers

1981

ABC

6

30.0

49

24,480,000

41,370,000

Los Angeles Dodgers / NY Yankees

1980

NBC

6

32.8

56

25,380,000

42,300,000

Philadelphia Phillies / Kansas City Royals

1979

ABC

7

28.5

50

21,730,000

37,960,000

Pittsburgh Pirates / Baltimore Orioles

1978

NBC

6

32.8

56

24,450,000

44,278,950

NY Yankees / Los Angeles Dodgers

1977

ABC

6

29.8

53

21,720,000

37,150,000

NY Yankees / Los Angeles Dodgers

1976

NBC

4

27.5

48

19,580,000

34,720,000

Cincinnati Reds / NY Yankees

1975

NBC

7

28.7

52

19,980,000

35,960,000

Cincinnati Reds / Boston Red Sox

1974

NBC

5

25.6

46

17,540,000

29,080,000

Oakland Athletics / Los Angeles Dodgers

1973

NBC

7

30.7

57

20,320,000

34,750,000

Oakland Athletics / NY Mets

1972

NBC

7

27.5

58

NA

NA

Oakland Athletics / Cincinnati Reds

1971

NBC

7

24.2

59

NA

NA

Pittsburgh Pirates / Baltimore Orioles

1970

NBC

5

19.4

53

NA

NA

Baltimore Orioles / Cincinnati Reds

1969

NBC

5

22.4

58

NA

NA

NY Mets / Baltimore Orioles

1968

NBC

7

22.8

57

NA

NA

Detroit Tigers / St. Louis Cardinals

*While there were six telecasts for the 2008 series, there were only five games. The sixth telecast was the completion of game five which was suspended due to rain.

If they would play the games during the hours that most of the youth of America could watch America’s Favorite Pastime then maybe the ratings would be higher– plus more kids might fall in love with baseball — but having the 7th inning of game #2 start at 11:11 EST is not “in the ball park.”

tom k

Tom Kochendorfer

If they would play the games during the hours that most of the youth of America could watch America’s Favorite Pastime then maybe the ratings would be higher– plus more kids might fall in love with baseball — but having the 7th inning of game #2 start at 11:11 EST is not “in the ball park.”

tom k

vic kray

Having The Red Sox look like clowns with ringlets, ugly half facial hair, full beards, necklaces of pearls and faces leering is not what the public wants to see. These guys make millions and Ramirez says “WHO CARES IF WE LOSE”.

WITH A $20,000,000 PER YEAR GUARANTEED CONTRACT, THE PUBLIC DOES`NT CARE EITHER.

Its not baseball !

vic kray

Having The Red Sox look like clowns with ringlets, ugly half facial hair, full beards, necklaces of pearls and faces leering is not what the public wants to see. These guys make millions and Ramirez says “WHO CARES IF WE LOSE”.

WITH A $20,000,000 PER YEAR GUARANTEED CONTRACT, THE PUBLIC DOES`NT CARE EITHER.